Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller Rebecca (1940) owed its success to brilliant direction, extraordinary acting, suspenseful plotting, and atmospheric sets. But another aspect of the film that contributed to its effectiveness was the lush and insinuating score by
Franz Waxman, one of the most accomplished emigré composers who brought his talents to Hollywood. Mixing old-world elegance to evoke the wealth of Manderley; playful, innocent passages to accompany the shy young woman who becomes the second Mrs. deWinter; and increasingly disturbing music to suggest the unfolding mystery of Rebecca,
Waxman supplied a varied but unified score that lends opulence and anxiety to the film and subtly moves the emotional currents of the characters. This fresh recording of Rebecca by
Joel McNeely and the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra allows the music to reveal its many mood changes and shows how smoothly the scene-painting shifts and develops into the chromatic theme for the title character, one of
Waxman's most characteristic melodies. Fans of classic movies and rich, post-Romantic orchestral music will appreciate this album and give credit to
McNeely and the orchestra for a performance that is clear and close to
Waxman's original intentions and notable in restoring the original, unsettling cue for Mrs. Danvers' introduction, which was changed for the film.~Blair Sanderson